Uncategorized Archives - Team2Soft

29
Oct

The now Lenovo-owned Motorola has been responsible for a number of high-quality mid-range Android devices, including the Moto G and Moto Z. There’s been whispers of a successor for some now, and the latest leaks peg it as the upcoming Moto M. There’s no word on when it will be released, but the specs were just published this week, and …

29
Oct

We know it will go on sale in the US next spring. We know it will have an estimated range of over 300 miles. We know it will start sales in California, since that’s where the hydrogen stations are. But perhaps the one key detail about Honda’s new f…

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03
Sep

The BB-8™ by Sphero is a Perfect Working Toy Replica of Star Wars’ New R2D2

With a price tag of $150 Sphero’s BB-8 is one of the most expensive Star Wars toys to hit store shelves this weekend, but there’s little doubt this tiny droid is going to be a huge hit leading up to the movie’s release this December.

Using It

When BB-8 is fully charged (indicated by a series of charge status lights on the inductive base) all you have to do is make sure Bluetooth is activated on your mobile device, launch the app, and that the tiny droid is nearby. The connection between BB-8 and your mobile device happens automatically after just a few seconds, with no need to fiddle with pairing settings.

Once BB-8 is connected to your mobile device you have your choice of three different modes of play: Patrol, Drive, or Message.

Patrol is BB-8’s autonomous mode, and is akin to letting an excited but blind puppy run wild in your home. BB-8 doesn’t have any on-board sensors, so he’ll continuously crash into walls, feet, and furniture while he explores a space. But by keeping tabs on the toy’s speed and heading, the accompanying app allows BB-8 to learn the ins and outs of a space so he can eventually build a rudimentary map of a room allowing him to later avoid obstacles he’s already run into.

When BB-8 is out exploring on his own, the app shows his current speed, how far he’s traveled, and the path he’s taken while he criss-crosses the floor. See that Stormtrooper icon? That’s where BB-8 ran into my foot, and identified it as an enemy and something to avoid in the future. The lack of collision sensors means that will be a common occurrence, but the tiny droid is at least smart enough to not get stuck. If he runs into an immovable object he’ll simply back off and head in another direction.

Collisions aren’t a problem, but falls might be. The lack of sensors, or any kind of insight into what dangers lie ahead, means BB-8 can easily accidentally roll down a flight of stairs, or off a table. And while the toy is made from durable plastic, it’s far from invincible. A fall onto concrete could easily dent, damage, or crack the plastic sphere, which would put an end to BB-8’s ability to roll. So an ounce of prevention when you’re using BB-8 in Patrol is worth about $150 of cure.

28
Aug

Like most consumer items, the lower the price point of a phone, the less exciting the design. Obi Worldphone co-founder (and former Apple CEO) John Sculley andAmmunition design founder Robert Brunner decided to challenge that by creating mid-level, inexpensive international smartphones that look — if not cool — at least unique. The new Obi Worldphone SF1 and SJ1.5 both start off at under $200 ($199 and $129 respectively), will be available in October and target buyers 25 years old and younger in emerging markets in Asia, Africa and Middle East.

26
Aug

Lots of people hypermile their cars, hypermiling is a process where someone drives exceedingly carefully to enable their car to drive the longest distance on a tank of fuel possible. People go to some strange extremes to get better fuel economy with custom-made body kits and the like. A man named Bjorn Nyland has driven a Tesla P85D 452.8 miles …